I Know, You Know, that I'm Not Telling the Truth
by White Wolf Fan Fiction
Summary: 21/?: This is the twenty-first story in my Z.F.C. (Zero's Fanfiction Collection) Each story will be posted separately and in their own category. Ratings are separate and details are posted within the story. Thank you.


White Wolf Fan Fiction Presents:

~Zero's Fanfiction~

A Fandom Collection

* * *

**Title:** I Know, You Know, that I'm Not Telling the Truth

**Pairing(s):** Carlton/Shawn

**Fandom(s):** Psych

**Words:** 7,654

**Rating:** T+

**Warnings:** Yaoi, drama, fluff, and angst.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters from Psych.

**Summary:** Lassiter is missing and Shawn and Gus are put to the case. But Shawn has a problem... his feelings begin to cloud his judgment and his emotions, his walls, and his spirit are put to the test in this heartbreaking tale. Will Shawn be able to find the one he loves, or will it be too late to save him? (Terrible Summary is Terrible.)

**A/N:** Originally this started out as a stand-alone, as you can see from how it's in first person, but I decided it was just easier putting this in here rather than finishing this _and_ writing a whole nother fic to put in the collection. I also kind of maybe might have started this a little over a... year... ago. So... yeah. *blushes, grinning sheepishly* Hope you enjoy it anyway~!

-0-

My name is Shawn Spencer, I have brown hair, and also my eyes are a hazel color. My dad's name is Henry Spencer, my mom's name is Madeleine Spencer, and my best friend's name is Burton Guster.

My best friend and I had started a small business we like to call Psych, while working on cases for the SBPD, which is the place where my dad worked at as a cop. Now I carry on his line of work as a psychic, and dude, it is awesome!

I work along side Chief Vick, Juliet, Gus, Lassie, and most of the time Buzz. I've solved many cases in my line of work, saved many people, beat my fellow co workers in some cases and I've been shot and held captive many times in the years that I've worked for this crew.

Gus and I have solved murder cases, missing person cases, robbery cases, bomb cases, arsenal cases, and much more thrilling stuff.

Though at times, I have been unable to solve some cases and that's where the amazing work of Juliet and Lassie come in and pick up on things that I've missed, or in cases that I was really unable to solve because I was being held hostage or something like that.

Oh whoa, I'm getting crazy visions that are telling me to stop talking. Oh, okay then.

* * *

I stared at my computer that sat on top of my messy desk inside my work shop: Psych. Out of all the things I've done for work, this has got to be the best one I've done; solving cases with my best friend and partner in crime, Burton Guster.

We've been friends ever since we were little and look at us now! Solving crimes for the SBPD, and living the highlight of our dreams! Well, my dream anyway.

I stared at my screen for a while until I finally decided to play some Tetris, considering I had no case to solve right now. As soon as I finished the first round, Gus walked into the room and stood by my desk.

"Why are you here Shawn?" I looked up at my black, almost bald, friend and shrugged.

"Why do you think I'm here, Gus?" I replied, saying his name just because he said mine.

"I don't know, playing Tetris?" He said as he looked at my screen and I quickly closed the browser page and scoffed.

"Psh, no!" I said, laughing a bit. "I'm working on our new case." I lied.

"You mean waiting for our new case, right?" He sighed and sat down at his desk. Damn he's good, the one and only person that knows me the best, well besides my dad that is.

I sighed deeply and leaned back in my chair, resting my feet on the desk, I stared at my cell phone, almost willing it psychically to ring so I could have something to do.

Brrrrinnng! As if it had heard my thoughts, my phone started to ring and I jumped up at the opportunity to answer it and put it to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Shawn, get down to the station now. We have a case for you." I heard Jules' voice and she sounded worried.

"Jules, is everything okay?" I asked her.

"Just get over here Shawn!" She called into the phone and hung up on me. I closed my phone and looked immediately to Gus, who in turn was staring at me.

"Dude that was Juliet." I said.

"What did she want?" He asked me and stood up.

"She wants us down at the station, dude she sounded worried about something. Come on let's go!" I said quickly and ran out of the building, going to Gus' blue Toyota Echo Hatchback. Gus followed me and got into the drivers seat as I climbed into the passengers and he drove off.

When we got to the station, I jumped out of the vehicle and headed inside to find Juliet pacing around her desk.

"Jules." I called to her and she looked up at me and I saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Oh Shawn thank god you're here." She ran up to me and Gus and I thought for a second I saw tears in her eyes, but if she did, she quickly hid them. "Chief Vick wants to speak with you." She said.

I walked with her and Gus to the chiefs office and walked inside to see the chief looking as glum as Juliet had when we walked into the station. Surprisingly, Lassie hadn't been around at all since I arrived.

"What's up Karen?" I asked and she looked up at me with a harsh look in her eyes. "Ahem, Chief Vick, sorry." I said and her pained looked returned.

"O'Hara, close the doors and blinds, no one outside this room hears about this." She said and Juliet didn't hesitate to do so. I looked back and forth between the two women and raised an eyebrow in questioning.

"Ok, what is going on here? And where is Lassiter?" Gus asked, but surprisingly not, the two ignored him and focused their attention on me. I couldn't help but smirk at the attention I was getting.

"Spencer, I want to make myself clear when I say no one needs to know of what this case is about, or that there even is one." The chief said and I nodded slowly, quite confused.

"Right, and what would this case happen to be about?" I asked her.

"It's Carlton." Juliet said and I looked at her, still confused.

"What, did he fail at a large case or something?" Gus asked and I laughed at that, he followed afterwards, but we soon stopped when we saw both Jules' and Vicks' faces.

"Is... is that not it?" I asked.

"Shawn, will you quit with your fooling around for once?" Juliet sounded serious as she said that. "My partner is missing and this is no time to be acting like this!" She yelled at me and I stepped back slightly in astonishment, also a hint of hurt when she said that.

Wait, what!? I stared at her in shock. Carlton Lassiter, is missing?! But that's impossible. I started to laugh because I felt too awkward to do anything else right then and there.

"Wait, you're serious about this?" I asked, calming down my awkward laugh and continued to stare at both Jules and Karen. "But, Lassie would never do anything without saying something first." I added.

"This is exactly why we think something has happened to him, and that's exactly why we are hiring you on this case. We need a psychic to determine where he is." Chief Vick said to me. For a second I felt oddly happy to be given an opportunity for a case like this and also slightly upset that it was Lassiter the case was about. Apparently Gus was thinking something other than what I was thinking.

"We won't do it." He said that while I said something completely different.

"We'll take the case." I said and then we both looked at each other afterwards, I sort of glared at him. "Chief, we'll take the case, but only for Lassie." I said and walked out of the office with Gus behind.

"What?" Gus looked at me like I was crazy, and I probably was. After all, Gus and I hated Lassiter just like he hated us two. "We are not doing this case Shawn." He said.

"Alright fine, I can cancel on the case and then you can get chewed on by Chief Vick and Lassiter's partner." I said and walked out of the station. Gus followed behind, clearly upset that I had won that battle. "Let's go to Lassie's place for some clues." I said and got into the car and Gus once again followed.

* * *

We arrived at Lassie's place and I immediately got out of the car, heading inside. Of course, though, the door was locked and I sighed. Lucky me, I was good at lock picking. I got out a small thin object and inserted it in the lock, screwing around with it for a bit until it finally opened.

"Shawn, what are you doing?" Gus asked, not happy with me at all. "You know I have other work to do, I don't have time to work on some case involving Lassiter."

"Gus, please?" I pleaded, looking at him. "If not for Lassie, do it for me Gus. We'll work on the case and after we're done, we can do whatever." I said and he sighed.

"Fine." He said nothing else as we entered the place and I froze in my tracks. His place was a mess! "Oh my god, it looks like a zoo had been through here!" Gus exclaimed and, though I normally would, I barely let out a chuckle at that statement but instead frowned deeply in fright, shock, and worry.

"Gus… I don't think Lassiter was kidnapped by animals that got loose from the zoo." I said weakly and grimaced as he stared at me with concern and confusion.

I looked around the area, my eyes narrowed in concentration as I was determined to find something that was linked to what happened to Lassiter. And what I found was a bit much.

I found one of Lassiter's guns sprawled out onto the floor in a corner while above it on the wall there were a few bullet holes, as well as a blood stain on the wall and the floor by the gun.

My mind went numb at the thought of Lassie getting shot, much less being hurt.

"Shawn, you better come look at this." I turned towards Gus when my name was said and walked quickly over to him, only to see a small photo of Carlton on a table that had a large red X over his face, covering most of the photo. "Seems like whoever did this, extremely hated him to have done this."

"No kidding." I mumbled, my stomach doing flips at images in my mind and I went back to looking around after I grabbed the picture of him without Gus looking and found an entire bulletin board covered in photo's of different guys, most likely convicts since most of them had stars in the pictures and small black X's over some of them. "It looks like Lassie was bent on finding someone." I mumbled. "But who?"

"Try looking at the photo with the large circle on it." Gus said sarcastically and that's when my mind went to a picture in the far left corner of the board. "Who is he?"

"Most likely the one that did this." I gestured to the house and then studied the picture. The guy was at least 7 feet tall and had almost black hair and dark sick looking blue eyes. His hair covered his left eye while the right had a long thin ugly looking scar over it. His right ear had a single diamond stud in it while the other wasn't visible. He also had a funny looking dragon tattoo on his right arm that went up to his neck. "Robert Pendragon is his name." I mumbled.

"Damn he's creepy." I nodded in agreement before looking below his name to the other info.

"Looks like Robert escaped from the station only a week ago," I paused and let Gus continue.

"Plotting his revenge against Lassiter?" He said, unsure and I nodded.

"Most likely." I said and shook my head. "What do you say we pay a little visit to his house?"

"Uh-uh, no way Shawn; I am not going to a convicts home, are you crazy?" I gave him a small cheeky grin and a 'do you really need to ask that' look before turning around, only to be stopped when Gus grabbed my arm. "Shawn, we are not going to a convict's house." He repeated and I frowned before sighing.

"Would it make you feel better if we went to the police first?" He nodded and I sighed again. "Alright then, let's go."

When we got to the station again, my heart was racing ten times faster than what it would when I was ever near Lassiter, except this time it was because I knew he wasn't going to be there. He wasn't going to be there to criticize what I did or how I would do things, he wouldn't be there to complain about my presence or what I would do to him when I felt like teasing him or letting off a bit of what I felt.

It felt harsh… like my heart was going to break or that it would beat right through my ribs and shatter into millions of pieces.

"Shawn, are you alright?" I broke from my thoughts and looked up at Gus, confused.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah I'm fine." I put on my famous 'ok face' and grinned childishly. "Why do you ask?"

"You haven't moved in the past five minutes." His face gained a small look of worry and I brushed it off, as well as my thoughts.

"I'm fine Gus, stop being such a worry-wart." I said as I walked passed him and into the station, straight to the chief's office. "Hey Chief, mind if I steal a moment of your time?" I questioned and watched as her head shot up and she ushered us inside.

"Mr. Spencer, come in, come in. Mr. Guster, please close the door behind you." Gus did as she said and I let out a soft inaudible sigh. "Do you have anything on Detective Lassiter's location?"

"I…" I cleared my throat and closed my eyes. "I do not, but," I opened my eyes to see her frown in frustration. "I do have something." I put a finger to my temple and mumbled some incoherent things under my breath.

"Spencer, spit it out already; my patience is wearing thin and all I want to is if Carlton is okay and where he is." She said harshly, if not a bit rough.

I took a calm deep breath and waited out a few seconds before starting after I knew she had nothing else to say. "The spirits have called out to me! I see… I see… a house… and the place is a mess! I see Lassiter… and a guy in black. I see a struggle, both of them having guns." My breathing quickens at this point, as does my heart when I really do see images. Damn my imagination for straying with my words.

"Shawn…?" Gus asked, still worried for me I guess.

It was almost as if I was in a trance and I acted as if I was in Lassiter's place. "Lassie fights back, but… he losses his gun before he could do anything." I imitated a shocked look as I faked out a gun being thrown from my hands before I fell backwards, acting as if hitting a wall.

"Spencer, what is going on!" The chief stood up harshly but I made no move, my hand gripping my shoulder and my leg was slightly bent as if I couldn't stand on it.

"The… the guy fired his gun, several bullets paling against the wall above near Lassiter…" I closed my eyes tightly and fell to the ground much like how Lassiter would've done, shot in the leg. "Lassie's leg… his arm… both had been…" My voice broke then, and I had to choke back my tears. It was like I couldn't finish the sentence, and I really couldn't as I let out a harsh breath as I acted like the spirits cut me off and slumped forward, hiding my tears from view. "The spirits… they send me no more…" I paused and stood up, my head still lowered even as my eyes were tightly closed once more.

"Shawn…?" Gus asked me again and I turned from him before peeking through my hair to look at the chief's expression seeing pain, shock, concern, confusion… and many other emotions that I couldn't even begin to process, since my head began to hurt.

"There has to be more, that can't be it." Jules interrupted the conversation after a few seconds. I hadn't even heard her come into the room.

"I… there…" I tried to calm my breathing and will my tears away before speaking again. "There was another thing…"

"What!?" Jules and Vick shouted at the same time and I looked up only slightly.

"The spirits have shown me a picture… of a guy with black hair and sinister blue eyes… a long scar over his right eye and a single diamond stud in his right ear." I said softly.

Jules looked shocked at that and she covered her hand over her mouth. "That description matches Robert Pendragon… a criminal that escaped here a week ago." She said and then gasped. "Lassiter was the one who put him in here!"

I nod slowly, unable to speak, the images clear in my head: how the man looked, angry and seeking nothing but revenge; and Lassie… Carlton… he must've been so scared, though he probably showed none of it, even in his… his final moments.

No Shawn, come on, Lassie isn't dead yet, don't talk like he is.

"Jules, put out an APB on Robert Pendragon. Take Shawn with you and go search Robert's house." The chief ordered and I frowned, but I said nothing, only watched as Jules nodded and Gus shook his head.

"No, chief, I-" Gus started but shut up before he was yelled at. "Yeah, okay… you're the boss…" he said weakly, grabbing my arm and he walked out, Jules following after them. "I don't care what you say, I'm coming with you." Gus said as a matter of fact. "And I'm taking my blueberry!" He shouted, walking out of the station and I couldn't help but smile. He always did know how to cheer me up after something like this.

Jules sighed and shook her head, walking to her own car, with me trailing behind. I ended up hitching a ride with her, since I knew Gus would end up asking me a whole lot of questions I definitely didn't need right now.

'What's wrong?'

'What was up with that back there?'

'You okay?'

'Do you need a pineapple?'

Actually… that last one I might be able to answer. In other words, yes, yes I need a pineapple.

Not that it mattered now.

It wasn't a long drive, at least it didn't seem like it was, until we reached Robert's old pad.

We got out and Jules told us to hang back by the cars, and so naturally we didn't listen. Well, I didn't listen. Gus just decided to be a wuss and only followed me after he realized I wasn't going back. So, while Jules was trying to get in though the front door, ready to go all guns-a-blazin', Gus and I tried the back.

"Hey, dude, the back doors unlocked." I snickered and he rolled his eyes, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'Of course it is,' or maybe he said something else entirely, I'm not sure. I decided I would go inside either way and I walked to the front door, grinning like a maniac when I unlocked and opened the front door, scaring the shit out of Jules.

"Shawn!" She snapped, eyes wide before they narrow and she stalks past me, into the house. "I'm not even going to ask how you got in." She growled and I laughed.

"The back door was unlocked." I answered anyway and she looked like she wanted to do a face palm.

"Look, let's just take a look around. There has to be some evidence of Robert here, and maybe something that will help us find Lassiter." She said, her voice holding a certain kind of authority to it and it was kind of a bit strange because Lassie is the one that's usually all uptight and stuff, not her. "If you find anything, you tell me." She added, sharp and I stiffened up, nodding.

Wow, I never realized I wouldn't ever like it when she got like this.

She ended up staying downstairs to search around; I chose to snoop around upstairs… Gus ended up staying in the kitchen and raiding the fridge or something.

The first door I came to led to an extremely messy closet that I really didn't want to search through. The second door led to a dirty bathroom that really smelled. The third and final door led to an even messier and dirtier room.

Well, it's as good a place to search as any, I suppose.

Though, really, all I found were clothes, books, clothes, and more clothes. It wasn't until I searched the old desk that I found something that was actually worth looking for: an ornament.

It wasn't some dumb Christmas ornament either, nope, this was a one-of-a-kind devil's ornament with the initials T.W. carved into it. "Fuck…!" I cursed, nearly dropping the ornament as soon as I recalled exactly whose initials those were.

Tyler Walters… the one person on earth so hell bent to destroy my life, aside from Lassie, of course. But the good ol' detective doesn't really count, anyway.

"Shawn?" Gus called to me and I whipped around, eyes wide, clutching the ornament behind my back.

"Yes?" I chirped, trying to still my racing heart and he frowned, though shook his head before nodding to the room.

"You got anything?" He asked and I paused to look around the room, determining it to be no help whatsoever before I shook my head, answering with a silent 'no'. "Okay, well Jules got a call saying she was needed somewhere, so we have to go."

I gave a slow nod and sighed, "Okay."

* * *

It didn't make any sense to me, why would Tyler take Lassie to get to me? We don't even like each other… okay, well, that's a lie… _He_ doesn't even like me.

It's true I mess around with him all the time, try and rile him up and see what makes him tick, but it's not because I don't like him. It's kinda because I do: you know, that whole 'if a boy likes a girl they pick on her' thing.

Throwing the ornament up in the air, I caught it, repeating the action a few times before dropping it in surprise, hearing the phone ringing. I got up and grabbed my cell, answering the call without looking at the I.D. "Hello?" I sighed out, reaching for the ornament again.

_"Shawn had a little lamb~_

_ Whose fleece was filled with lies~_

_ It followed him to work one day~"_

It felt like my blood froze, feeling cold all of a sudden, and I choked on my breath, "Wh-who are you?"

_"And now Lassiter will die~"_

"What did you do with Lassie!?" I shouted, standing up now, panicking. "Don't you dare hurt him!"

_"Oh Shawn… Shawn, Shawn, Shawn…" _the voice on the other end chuckled, _"what on earth would you do if only you knew that poor little _Lassie_ is going to die all because of you~?"_

"Wh… what do you mean?" And then it clicked. "Tyler! No, you can't do this. Please, let him go! I'll do anything, I swear!"

_"Even tell the truth?"_ My eyes widen as I heard the laugh on the other end before hearing a click and then the dial tone.

_Even tell the truth…?_

* * *

"Come on, Shawn! Think! You have to save Lassie," I chanted, pacing the room. "Where would Tyler keep him? Fuck, concentrate!"

"Shawn!" Gus shouted, knocking at the window near me and I nearly jumped, startled. "Juliet's found where Robert is." He said and I was out the door before he even finished his sentence.

* * *

Gus and I found Juliet in the interrogation rooms with Robert Pendragon cuffed to one of the metal tables in one of the rooms. "Jules." I frowned, gaining her attention.

"Hey Shawn..." she said, a little deflated, "we found Pendragon, but unfortunately, Carlton wasn't with him. He won't talk to us either." I turned my head and looked through the glass, narrowing my eyes when I saw Pendragon grinning smugly up at a frustrated officer.

"Let me talk to him." I said, suddenly having an idea, and Juliet opened her mouth to say something in protest. I just shook my head and smirked, "I have things on him that you guys might not have. So, again, let me talk to him." I added, frowning now, and I ignored the look of concern from both Juliet and Gus. "Alone."

"Okay." Juliet said, nodding towards the door, hesitating a little. "Just be careful, and remember, we're just outside the door if anything happens."

Even though I know she's saying that to reassure me, I'm not sure that helps me any, since I don't think I'm going to be the one that needs help after I get through with Robert Pendragon.

I nodded to them and walked into the interrogation room where he was held, nodding to the officer and watching as he gave a thankful nod back before high-tailing it out of the room. Smirking, I turned back to Robert, locking the door behind me, and walked towards the table, noting the little black device in the middle and I reached out quickly to push the red button in the middle, making it so no one outside the room could hear out conversation.

Robert only raised an eyebrow at me in question, silently asking who I was and what I was doing. I didn't bother answering and instead got straight down to business.

"Where is Tyler Walters?" I spat, now glaring darkly at him, my back towards the mirror, and for a moment, his eyes widened in surprise before they narrowed.

I mentally counted down the seconds it would take for Juliet and Gus to figure out what was going on and started banging at the door, trying to get in.

"I don't know who you're talking about." He answered, starting to look a little smug now.

I was about to wipe that smug look clean off his face though, and it wasn't going to be pretty. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly and nodded towards the window. "No one outside this room can hear what we're saying, Pendragon." I started, and he tilted his chin up in reply, making me just that little bit madder. "Now, you can either tell me what I want to know or I'll turn around right now, go back out there, and feed you to the wild animals with no mercy in my heart."

_3... 2... 1..._ "Shawn!" I heard the faint voice of Gus and tensed up, though I showed nothing on my face in front of the bastard who took Lassie.

He seemed to be thinking this threat over, eyeing the mirror and the door suspiciously, and I nearly smirked when he asked his next question. "So, I tell you whatever crack shit you want to hear and you'll do what, exactly?"

"You'll walk out of here, free of charge." I lied clean through my teeth. And lucky me the bastard was a full-grown, two hundred pound, dumbass.

"Fine. Don't know if I can tell you much, though," he sighed and sat back in his seat. "That guy, Tyler, or whatever you called him, caught me and told me what he needed me to do. And that if I did it, I'd get a free ticket across the sea and a boatload of money."

"Where is he keeping Carlton Lassiter?" I tried to keep my tone a little under down-right threatening, but it was hard, knowing that every second wasted here was another second that Lassiter could get hurt. And all because of me.

Robert shrugged, "Can't tell you that kid," he said, shaking his head, "the guy never mentioned where he was going to take your precious detective." The venom I heard in his voice when he mentioned Lassie and the fact that the bastard didn't know _anything_ about where Tyler was hiding set me off and I turned away, furious. "Hey, what about our agreement?" I turned back to him with a sharp glare as I unlocked the door, allowing others into the room.

"Oh, you'll get what you deserve." I spat at him, turning to Juliet, who stood before me, bewildered. "Lock the bastard up."

"You bitch! You lied to me!" Robert shouted, as I left, and I failed to hear anything more after the scrape of a chair and the voice of Juliet before the door to the room closed.

"Shawn?" Gus questioned, following me down the hall and to the evidence rooms.

"Did Robert have anything on him when Juliet handed him in for questioning?" I asked, ignoring his overall concern. I was a man on a mission now, a very personal mission.

"Uh, a wallet, some keys, a couple coins, and an old cell phone, why?" Immediately I started searching for Robert's personal possessions and grinned when I found them, pulling out his phone. I turned it on, ignoring the look of pure confusion from Gus as he watched me.

"That man is an idiot through and through; which means that he's got to have something that links him to where Lassiter is and if anyone can find it, it's us." I said and my smirk grew, my eyes narrowing, as I handed the phone to Gus. "And Bingo was his name-o." I chirped, thrilled.

Gus took the phone from my hands and read the message, his eyes widening. "'You'll get the other half of your money when I've taken care of what I need to. Meet me here at this location tomorrow at ten p.m. - T.W.' Who the hell is T.W.?" Gus asked and my smirk immediately fell.

"Tyler Walters..." I sighed and he looked about ready to snap.

"What!?" He blew up in my face, but I stopped him before he could go on a full-out rant about how dangerous this was and shit like that. I didn't care about the fact that Tyler wanted me _dead_, all I cared about was the fact that Lassie _could be_ dead.

"I don't care what you're going to say," I said, and he reeled back, but still glared at me. "I'm going to find Lassie. With or without you, Gus. And that's final."

And for the first time in forever, Gus finally let me do what I wanted to without any fight.

"Okay," he said, setting down the phone, and nodding his head. "I know how important this is for you. But please, just... be careful, Shawn."

And I smiled, "Thanks buddy. I know I can always count on you to have my back." I held out my fist and he bumped it with his own.

"You know that's right."

* * *

Now that I was actually here, I was getting a little scared. Tyler was trouble and I knew that if I didn't play my cards right, he'd kill both me and Lassie. "Do you want me to come in with you?" Gus asked and I shook my head furiously, worry seeping through my bones. I can't risk my best friend coming with me too and getting caught in the cross-fire.

"No, just... stay here with the blueberry." I said and he opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off with a smile. "If I don't come back out with Lassie in thirty minutes, call Juliet and tell them where we are. No questions asked."

"Okay, no questions asked." He agreed and then frowned, looking at the scary place before us. "Be careful, Shawn... please."

"I will." I answered, smiling and patting him on the shoulder before turning and walking towards the warehouse, going into it after letting out one final shaky breath. "Here goes nothing." I whispered, before adding in my head, I'm coming for you Lassie... just hold on for a little while longer.

* * *

That's how I got here, to where I am now, standing before Tyler Walters and Lassie, my hands up in the air and a frightened look upon my face. And I was scared shitless because my cards were played badly and I had no choice now but to do what Tyler said or we could die.

"H-hold on Lassie..." I tried to sound brave, but I couldn't muster it up in my voice, and Lassie looked at me, dazed and unfocused.

"Ha! Your pathetic attempts to play hero have failed and now I will finally get what I've always wanted. This world to be rid of the likes of you, a pathetic urchin who has no right or place here." Tyler snarled and I couldn't help but flinch back.

While it was true that I always felt I didn't ever have a place because of the many faces and masks I wear each day, that was a little harsh, don't you think?

"S-Spencer..." Lassiter growled out, shaking his head to try and get rid of his dizzy spell. "G-get out of here, y-you moron." I gave him a shaky smile.

"Oh Lassie... don't worry about me, okay?" I cleared my throat and tried again. "I'll get us out of here."

"Oh? And how are you going to do that?" Tyler smirked and stepped towards me, making me back up against a large crate. "The only way you're getting out of this alive is if you tell the truth. But then, you see, your life will be ruined anyway."

I shivered at that and looked away, unable to face the man that wanted to take away everything from me. "T-That's not true..." I whispered and he laughed out loud.

"Oh but it is! How many people trust you fully because of the little lie you spun and have kept spinning? How many people have you been deceiving just to get your way in life? How many people's hearts will you have to break just to keep living the way you want your life to go?" He sneered and pushed me hard, and I winced at the sharp pain as the box started to cave in, old and worn out from the years of sitting in this hellhole without any purpose.

"I haven't deceived anyone!" I shouted at him, desperate and nearly believing my own lie, but I knew it all too well. If this were to get out, everything I created to make my life work would fall apart and no one would like me anymore, no one would trust me. Well, except Gus and my dad, but they'd be disappointed if this got out. They'd rub it in my face that I couldn't keep it together and that I caused it all to fall apart and then I would've ruined Gus' whole career as well.

"I can see it in your eyes, dear little Shawn Spencer. You don't believe the lies you've told either. Oh, what a shame."

"You don't know what you're talking about." I suddenly barked, pushing Tyler away from me and I tried to make a grab for Lassiter, but Tyler was faster than me and he kicked me down on the ground as he pointed his gun at Lassie's heart. "Stop!" I shouted, tears coming to my eyes. This couldn't be happening, it just _couldn't_!

Tyler's eyes were dark and evil and I froze when he turned to me, sneering. "Now, now, little _psychic_." He growled out and I flinched back with the way he said it. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious little _Lassie_, now would you?"

"No... please, don't hurt him." I pleaded and he smirked at me. "I'll do _anything_, just please let him go."

"Anything?" He snickered and took his free hand and got something out from his coat pocket. "Then confess." He ordered as soon as he clicked the red button.

"C-confess?" I choked out, frowning and then it hit me. _Even tell the truth?_ "No! I-I can't! Anything but that!" I froze when he cocked the gun and I gulped, looking from the gun to Lassie, seeing the confusion and the pain and the murderous fury in his eyes, and then from him to Tyler.

"Confess, damn it, or the detective will never see the light again." I whimpered and shook my head furiously. I couldn't do that... I can't break his heart. I can't lose his trust... I can't lose my Lassie... _my Lassie..._ "Three... two... o-"

"Fine!" I shouted, unknowingly making Lassiter flinch back, and I tried holding back my tears. "I... I'm not psychic..." I whispered and Tyler snickered, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we quite caught that. Will you please repeat it a bit louder?"

"I... I'm not... I'm not psychic." I tried again, a little louder, but still not loud enough. And my tears were starting to overflow.

"Pathetic little Shawn." Tyler growled. "Louder and Lassiter will live. If you don't get it this time, well, you know what will happen-"

"I'm not psychic!" I snapped, finally breaking and the tears wouldn't stop. "I'm not psychic! I've never been psychic! I've been lying to everyone." I sniffled, wiping at my tears. "I've lied to Juliet, to the Chief, I've lied to my dad and Gus," I wanted to add them in too, so they wouldn't be blamed for any of this. The tape-recorder would catch it and they'd be free... "And... and... I've lied to you, L-Lassie..." I choked out, looking up into Lassie's shock-filled eyes and could barely make out the betrayal and confusion hidden within as well. I flinched away and looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry..." I whispered to finish it off and Tyler smirked wickedly, shutting the recorder off.

"There, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" He asked and I shifted away. "Thanks to you, your precious detective can live to see another day, unfortunately though, poor little Shawn, you will not." My head snapped up, my eyes wide and saw as Tyler held his gun, pointing it towards me.

"No!" I shouted and tried to move out of the way. Unfortunately, I was a little too late, as the gun went off.

At that moment, another was set off and I vaguely heard Jewel's voice, as well as another, as she shouted at Tyler.

And then everything was black.

* * *

When I came to, I was lying in a hospital bed, alone. I didn't have a clue what had happened, but all in a rush, everything came back to me and my head started to hurt, as well as my chest, and I couldn't stop the tears as they spilled when I remembered the look on Lassie's face.

But at least now, I know Gus and my dad wouldn't be caught in the middle anymore...

* * *

Tyler's dead...

The news had hit me full force, and I didn't know why I felt so sad for the guy. He tried to kill me after all, but I guess it was because he was a sad and lonely guy. He didn't deserve to be killed any less than my... friends... deserved to be lied to.

Speaking of that, it's been two days since I left the hospital. Chief Vick and Juliet told me that I had to stay home because of my injury; which is weird that they would only mention that, I guess I thought they'd be really mad at me and banish from the station forever. Even weirder is that everyone at work had sent me flowers and get-well cards.

I didn't deserve them... I thought they would be more... angry at me because I lied to them.

Ugh, all of this is making my head hurt and I really need some fresh air.

It's night time now, I'd been trying to sleep for the past hour, but I couldn't because of all the things in my head, plus the minor pain from my chest that I get if I do lay down.

I decided to head to the park, since it was nice and quiet, and it was the closest place to my place that had somewhere I could rest if I needed to.

Unfortunately, the peace and quiet didn't last too long. "You're an idiot, Spencer." A familiar voice growled out and I jumped, turning my head, eyes wide as I spotted the _last_ person on the face of the Earth that I thought I'd ever see again.

"W-what?" I gulped, shifting away from the detective, seeing his narrowed eyes.

"You're an idiot. A moron, a total dumbass." Carlton spat and I flinched back. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "I know that's what you're thinking. That you're just pathetic and don't deserve anything." I frowned at this and looked up at him in confusion.

"Well it's true, isn't it? I mean, you've said it so many times that I've lost count." I huffed and the detective frowned, sitting on the bench beside me as he puffed out a heavy breath of air, his arms crossed and his gaze cast forward.

"I may have, but they've never truly been true, up until now. You don't do something like that just because a colleague is in danger. And you especially don't go alone."

"I- wait... what?" I paused, reeling back and my head started to hurt from all of this. "I don't understand... I thought... I thought you were mad at me. About lying to you, I mean... not about that. Actually, I never thought about that." I rambled and was cut off, thankfully, but Carlton.

"Oh, no, I'm mad." Or not... "In fact, I'm furious." He snarled at me, glaring at me from the corner of his eyes and I gulped, shrinking back. "You've deliberately lied to me and everyone at the station and have done more wrong than you can possibly imagine, and more than anything else," he sighed and I looked up at him again, more than confused, "you've risked your life more than a civilian should for us. More than once for me, and I couldn't possibly understand why you do."

"But-" he held his hand up and I shut up as he continued.

"I have constantly insulted you and have said things even I am not proud of. You're a good detective, you know, Shawn." I think this is the first time that he's ever smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back, blushing uncharacteristically. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, looking away again with another frown. "Yet, you've stayed around, always a constant ray of sunshine, and you've saved my ass so many times..." he trailed and I could tell he wasn't going to speak anymore, so I spoke up, still smiling.

"Well, you know, you may hate me, but I don't hate you. Never have. In fact I actually l-" I cut myself off abruptly and shook my head. "Uh, never mind, forget I was going to say anything."

Almost immediately Lassie was right back to glaring at me and I flinched again, grimacing when he sighed in frustration. "No, Shawn, no more lies." He said, sharp and I looked away.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize either. I know you are, but... if we're going to be working together from now on, I don't want any more surprises from you in the near future."

"But-"

"Shawn," he said sternly and I gulped, before nodding. "Good. Now, what were you going to say?"

I sighed and looked down, digging at the dirt with my shoes, before deflating and looking away completely. "There was a reason I especially didn't want to tell you the truth about me not being a psychic. I didn't want to lose your trust... I didn't want to lose you. Because I... I just couldn't handle knowing the one I love hates me more than he already does." I said, shaking my head.

"Love...?" Carlton questioned and I kept quiet. "Shawn, I don't hate you. What I feel for you is anything but." I looked at him, underneath my eyelashes, frowning, waiting for him to elaborate.

"What do you mean...?" I asked, soft and unsure.

"It's not love, I know that, but maybe I can give you a chance. And just maybe what I feel will become just that." My smile couldn't have been any brighter than it was.

"Is that a challenge?" I asked, teasingly and he rolled his eyes.

"Take it as you will, Spencer." He said, gruff, but with a tone of fondness. And I couldn't help the happy shout I let out as I tackled him in a hug; unfortunately that was the worst decision I've made all night, as immediately I felt a jolt of pain attack me and I flinched back, holding back a yelp of pain. "Idiot..." Carlton sighed, standing up after pushing me back off of him and straight against the bench.

When I recovered, I found a frown on my face as I immediately thought of something. "Hey, Lassie...?" I asked, hesitant and he turned his head towards me, just before he walked away, raising an eyebrow in question. "Why isn't anyone else treating me different? Shouldn't they be mad? Knowing I lied-"

"I got a hold of the tape-recorder before the guys at evidence could, and no doubt it's nothing but ash by now." He said and I couldn't help the smile I got on my face. "No one but me knows about it," he sighed and shook his head, "and Spencer," I made a small noise in attention, "that's the last time I break a rule like that for you."

"Thank you," I said, earnest and caught just a hint of a smile before I watched him leave, "Lassie."

* * *

Twenty-first one in the collection~ Next one is for Community and will be posted tomorrow.

~The White Wolf, Zero


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